This festive season, Christmas markets in both Mainz and Frankfurt are renaming Lumumba, a seasonal cocoa and rum drink.
This follows a change of policy at the Kassel Fairy Tale Christmas Market, where stallholders were notified that the popular beverage must now be sold under a different name. Stallholders were informed on November 22 that repeated violations could lead to exclusion from the market. There was a similar decision made in Bremerhaven.
However, critics argue that the drink’s name has long been a cultural tradition and is not intended as racist. Organizers justified the change by saying the name references Patrice Lumumba, the Congolese independence leader—and could be seen as offensive.
Many question whether the renaming is necessary.
Some stallholders have responded with humor, slightly altering the name—such as “Lamumba”—to comply while keeping the drink recognizable. The debate has sparked wider discussions about history, language, and how far symbolic gestures should reach into everyday traditions.
